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In most cases, the information or material
you find will be protected by copyright unless it is in the public
domain. Public domain refers to materials which belong
to the community at large, are unprotected by copyright or patent, and
may be used by anyone. Public domain materials can be freely duplicated
or used by anyone, as long as credit is given to the original creator.
Once someone's work enters the public domain,
permission is granted to freely distribute, copy, use, display, or perform
that work.
Generally speaking, a work is in the public
domain if:
1. Ownership
of copyright has expired and was not renewed.
Items published prior to 1978 have a copyright
of 28-75 years. Items published after 1978 have a copyright length of the
life of the author plus 50 years. At the expiration of the copyright, the
author or owner of the copyright may elect to renew. If the copyright is
not renewed, the material becomes part of the public domain.
Example: William Shakespeare's plays
are not copyrighted. |
William Shakespeare
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| 2. It is a federal government publication.
Examples: The Constitution of the
United States of America, legislation (laws), and other publications from
U.S. Government agencies. |
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3.The author grants permission or waives
copyright.
The author may choose to allow a creative
work to be freely distributed, copied and (in some cases) modified.
Example: Freeware software - software
that may be used for free such as screen savers or simple graphics viewing
programs. |
Note: Credit and acknowledgement
to the original author must always be given even if an item is in the public
domain.
If you are in doubt as to whether a work
is in the public domain, you should seek permission from the original copyright
owner. |
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